Ron Rivera addresses sideline fight between teammates

Former Alabama teammates and current Washington Football Team defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne got into a fight on the sidelines Sunday night. The duo was upset on the sideline over frustration in the first half against the Dallas Cowboys, and cameras caught the moment Allen threw a punch at his longtime teammate following a finger in his face.

During his postgame press conference, head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that he did not see the fight on the sideline but someone told him about it.

“”I’ve talked to both of them,” Rivera said, via The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Frustration was a major part of the Washington sideline on Sunday as the Cowboys opened the game with a barrage of points. After scoring 21 points in the first quarter, Washington scored a touchdown of their own to make it a 21-7 game. From there, the Cowboys continued to score points and entered halftime with a 42-7 lead.

Five different Cowboys scored touchdowns in the first half, including defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence and offensive lineman Terence Steele.

The loss officially ends Washington’s playoff chances, and the major deficit early certainly contributed to Allen and Payne’s scuffle. Dallas entered the game with the NFC East title already secured but continued to fight for higher seeding with the playoffs on the horizon.

More on Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne

The pair of lineman both played for Alabama, being on the same team for two seasons in 2015 and 2016. Being close for so long might have contributed to their tempers flaring on Sunday. While going over the previous drive on the sideline, Daron Payne appeared to touch Jonathan Allen in the head. The contact proved enough to push Allen to throwing a punch and the pair required separation by several teammates.

While tempers continued to flare after the incident, both players were back on the field together for the next defensive drive.

Allen and Payne were not apart for long between their college and professional careers. Allen entered the NFL after his selection by Washington with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The next year, Washington used another first-round pick on an Alabama defensive star, picking Payne with the 13th overall pick in 2018.